Zero gravity toilet



Sept. 12, 1967 R CELLA 3,340,544

ZERO GRAVITY TOILET Filed Feb. 1966 INVENTOR. RICHARD T. CELLA A TTOR/VE) 3,340,544 ZERO GRAVITY TOILET Richard T. Cella, 35 Park Ave., 5 New York, N-Y. 10016 File d F eb. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 530,437

' 7 Claims. (Cl. 4-10) This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 446,633, filed Apr. 8, 1965, in which the common subject matter'is being claimed.

This invention relates to toilets adapted for use under zero gravity conditions and has for an object to provide a toilet of the above type having novel and improved characteristics.

The invention is particularly intended for use in space capsules but may also be found useful for bed patients in hospitals or the like.

The nature of the invention will be better understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which a specific embodiment has been set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawing:

'FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toilet embodying the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a transverse vertical section, on a larger scale, showing the structure of the parts.

Referring to the drawing more in detail the invention is shown as embodied in a compact device comprising a positioning pad -10 on which the person sits. The pad 10 is formed with an upper surface 11 shaped to conform to the contour of the body with a pair of concave portions 12 separated by a central rib 13. The pad has a central hole 14 which is surrounded on the upper surface of the pad by an inflatable sealing ring 15. The ring is adapted, when inflated, to contact the body to form an effective seal around the hole 14 of the pad. The ring 15 is connected by a duct 16 to a valve panel 17 which forms a part of the equipment and is connected to an air cylinder, not shown.

A cylindrical housing 21 is disposed in the hole 14 and is fixed to the pad 10. The housing 21 is formed with a central bore 22 registering with the hole 14 and forming a continuation thereof and has an annular passage 23 communicating with the bore 22 by radial passages 24 to form a flush ring as will be described. The annular passage 23 is connected to the valve panel 17 to be connected thereby to the air supply bottle or to a water supply bottle or to a bottle containing cleansing foam.

The housing 21 also has annular passages 23a and 23b provided with rings of openings 24a and 24b positioned to introduce cones of spray into the passage 14, the cones of spray from the various rows of openings 24, 24a and 24b meeting in an apex at a point adjacent the body of the user. The annular passages 23a and 2312 are connected by ducts 25a and 25b respectively to the valve panel 17 to be connected thereby to sources of a settable resin and a setting agent, to be described.

A valve 31 in the form of a tubular sleeve of suitable material has a circular upper end 32 attached to the inner surface of the bore 22 of the housing 21 in a position to hang downwardly within the bore. The sleeve 31 is composed of a material which is sufiiciently resilient to assume and retain a flat ribbon form which at its lower end 33 is coiled up upon itself so that the sleeve normally forms a closure valve for the bore 22 but it may be opened and extended by the application of air pressure from the flush ring 23.

A bag 41 is carried by a coupling ring 42 having an inner surface formed with a resilient lip 43 adapted to snap over a resilient ring 44 carried on the outer surface of the housing 21 for coupling the bag to the apparatus.

United States Pm o which are normally in contact along their diametric edges '47 to form a closure for the bag 41. Elastic strips 54 extend along the edges 47 of the diaphragm 46, and carry '2. depending tube 55 through which the sleeve 31 extends when the diaphragms are in open position. The diaphragms 46 are connected by passages 49 in the coupling 'ring'42 and'a duct 50 to the valve panel 17 to receive compressed air for opening the valve. When air is supplied to the diaphragms 46 their diametric edges 47 are drawn apart to form an opening to the bag 41.

The pad 10 and housing 21 are supported on a hollow base 51 within which the bag 41 is contained.

When the device is to be used the bag 41 is coupled to the housing 21, the pad and bag placed on the base 51 and the assembly brought into contact with the body. By suitable manipulation of the valves on the valve panel 17 the sealing ring 15 is inflated to provide a seal with the body. Air is then applied to the valve diaphragms 46 to open the valve 45 after which air is supplied to the flush passage 23 to cause the sleeve valve 31 to unroll and pass down through the open valve 45. After use wash water or foam is supplied to the flush ring 23. For cleansing purposes the valve panel 17 is manipulated to supply a settable resin and a setting agent to the annular passages 23a and 23b respectively. When these materials come into contact at the apex of the spray in the passage 14 the resin sets to form a hard plug. Air pressure is then supplied through the annular passage 23 to force the resin plug downwardly through the passage 14 and through the valve 45 into the bag 41. The resin plug cleanses the passages as it advances.

As an example, the resinous material may comprise sodium-carboxymethylcellulose and the setting agent may comprise a saturated solution of aluminum potassiumsulphate. As a further example, sodium-algenate in water solution may be set up by a glycerine solution of calciumsulphate.

Air pressure is released from the diaphragms 46 and from the sealing ring 15 to permit the sleeve 31 to be withdrawn from the valve 45 and to flatten out and recoil to form a closure for the housing 21 after which the bag may be uncoupled.

While the apparatus has been shown as involving three separate annular passages 23, 23a and 23b, one or two passages may be employed provided the control panel is arranged to supply the selected fluid to the passage or passages. For supplying the resin and setting agent simul taneously, a single annular passage may be used provided the passage is divided into a pair of semi-circular parts through which the two materials can be supplied separately as required.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of operating a toilet having a member to be sealed against the body and provided with a passage communicating with a waste receiver, under zero gravity conditions, which comprises the steps of introducing through said passage against the body a settable resin in liquid form and a setting agent under conditions to cause the resin to set in the form of a plug and introducing fluid pressure above said plug to force said plug through said passage into said container for thereby purging said passage.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 in which the settable resin is sodium-carboxymethylcellulose.

3. The method set forth in claim 2 in which the setting agent is aluminum potassium-sulphate.

4. The method set forth in claim 1 in which the resin is sodium algenate in water and the setting agent is a glycerine solution of sodium-sulphate.

charge openings disposed to inject liquids into said passage in the form of a spray, the spray from said ducts meeting in an apex at a point adjacent the body.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 in which said said ducts under conditions to form a plug of resin and means is provided to introduceafluid under pressure ducts terminate in separate annular passages surrounding said first passage, each of said last passages having a ring of openings for the discharge of said fluids into said first passage.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 in which means is provided to introduce a settable resin into one of said ducts and to introduce a setting agent into another of through another of said ducts for forcing said plug through said first passage for purging the same.

v References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,749,558 6/1956 Lent et al 4-112 3,034,131 5/1962 Lent f 4-90 3,158,874 12/1964 Bennett 4142 iLAVERNE D. GEIGER? Primary Examiner.

H., K. ARTIS, Assistant Exan zinen 

1. THE METHOD OF OPERATING A TOILET HAVING A MEMBER TO BE SEALED AGAINST THE BODY AND PROVIDED WITH A PASSAGE COMMUNICATING WITH A WASTE RECEIVER, UNDER ZERO GRAVITY CONDITIONS, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF INTRODUCING THROUGH SAID PASSAGE AGAINST THE BODY A SETTABLE RESIN IN LIQUID FROM AND A SETTING AGENT UNDER CONDITIONS TO CAUSE THE RESIN TO SET IN THE FORM OF A PLUG AND INTRODUCING FLUID PRESSURE ABOVE SAID PLUG TO FORCE SAID PLUG THROUGH SAID PASSAGE INTO SAID CONTAINER FOR THEREBY PURGING SAID PASSAGE. 